See You Again
by Shakespeare's Lemonade
Summary: He promised they would see each other again. So when Steve is injured, Mary Ann immediately rushes back to Hawaii. She intends to hold him to his promise. So do Danny and Grace and pretty much everyone else.
1. Too Many Promises

"See You Again"

Shakespeare's Lemonade

Rating: T

Genre: Family/Drama

Summary: He promised they would see each other again. So when Steve is injured, Mary Ann immediately rushes back to Hawaii. She intends to hold him to his promise. So do Danny and Grace and pretty much everyone else.

A/N: This will probably be a few chapters, but not a very long story.

**Chapter One "Too Many Promises"**

She hadn't been able to put it out of her head since she left Hawaii. Steve had told Mary Ann that they would see each other again, but every day that passed reminded her of how dangerous his life was. She wondered on multiple occasions whether there was a way to statistically evaluate his chances of survival. Then she would remember that she didn't want to know.

The call came a few months after she'd returned to LA. It wasn't unexpected, but she found herself nearly hyperventilating as Danny informed her that her brother was in the hospital in serious condition.

"What happened?" she found herself asking.

There was silence on the other end of the line. "It's a long story," Danny finally said. "He's got several bullet wounds though."

"Okay, look, it's gonna take me a while to get there. I'll call you before I board the plane."

"Mary, I don't think Steve would want you to came all this way."

"Is he conscious? I didn't think so. He doesn't get a vote."

Danny agreed with her. She knew he did even though he didn't say it.

Mary drove like a maniac—like her brother—to LAX. She got the first available flight to Hawaii and in the short time she had before boarding, she called Danny back. He still didn't really explain what happened, but he told her that Steve was currently in surgery. Apparently the doctors were trying not to rearrange his vital organs in the process of removing bullets from his torso.

Mary wondered what ever happened to Kevlar, but she didn't ask. She hoped to lecture Steve about it when she got there. She tried to think of that rather than the alternative. She kept reminding herself that Steve promised they would see each other again, which meant he had to open his eyes and acknowledge her presence. He couldn't die until that had happened.

All through the long flight, Mary couldn't sleep or read or anything. She tried listening to music for a while, but it just made her more impatient. Finally, she turned to the passenger next to her, a middle aged man in a business suit.

"Hi," she said.

He nodded at her and turned back to his magazine.

"You traveling for work?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

Mary turned and faced forward again. Just because she was miserable didn't mean she had to make someone else so. But the man seemed to decide he should at least be polite, so he said,

"How about you? Going on vacation."

"Hardly," Mary said. "My brother's in the hospital."

"Oh." The man seemed genuinely sympathetic. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, it's his own damn fault for being such an idiot." She crossed her arms. "You'd think a former Navy SEAL would remember to put on his vest."

"I hope he gets better. I have a son in the Army, so I know what that's like."

"Thanks," Mary said. "And I'm sorry I bothered you."

"Don't mention it. Sometimes it helps to remember we're not just drifting along alone in our little bubbles."

Mary smiled and leaned back in her seat. "I'm gonna tell my brother that."

**H-5-O**

Danny wasn't sure whether he should plot Steve's demise or pray. He figured since the seven bullets in Steve's body were doing a good job of the former, he should focus on the latter. He didn't tell anyone that's what he was doing, but when Kono and Chin noticed his head down, eyes closed, and lips moving, they knew what was going on. And they had both been mentally doing the same thing.

The only person Danny could think of that was more powerful than Steve McGarrett had to be God. So who else could save him?

So Danny could only sit, and worry, and pray.

He was half glad, and half in dread that he had Grace the next day. Glad that he could tell her in person not too long after the fact, but dreading that he had to tell her anything. She had become attached to his team since he'd started working with them. Now Danny knew a little of how Rachel felt. He tried to imagine telling his daughter that she would never see her favorite "uncle" again. But at that thought he bowed his head again and tried not to let the tears fall. That couldn't happen. He remembered two weekends ago Steve had promised Grace he would see her two Saturdays from then. They were going with the whole team to a movie Grace had been dying to see. Probably something about princesses or talking animals or both. But they all liked going to movies with Grace. It was refreshing after everything they dealt with during the week.

However, now they would be spending the weekend in a hospital waiting room. Danny knew Grace wouldn't want to go anywhere else until she got to see "Uncle Steve." Danny still wasn't used to that name.

Late that night, Danny checked his watch. He realized he would have to leave to go pick up Mary from the airport. He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm going to get Mary," he said, standing up.

Sitting across from him, both Chin and Kono nodded.

"You'll call me if they tell you anything?"

""Yeah," Kono said in a breathy voice. "Go ahead."

Danny reluctantly left the hospital and got into his car. The silence was deafening. Usually there was some noise coming from the radio, or Steve, or Danny himself. Steve wasn't there, Danny never talked to himself, and he couldn't bring himself to listen to Steve's stupid music, so the quiet continued on the long drive to the airport.

Mary was waiting outside with a smallish bag slung over one shoulder. She got in the car without a word and they headed back for the hospital. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Danny burst out,

"Please say something; the silence is killing me."

Mary looked over at him. "You want to tell me what happened?" she asked.

Danny ran a hand down his face. "Not particularly." He scratched the back of his head. "It was supposed to be a routine bust. Steve got a little excited and forgot that I was actually _wearing_ my vest."

"Where was his?"

"It's in the backseat."

"So he jumped in front of you?"

"Yeah." There was a significant pause. "I mean, I might have got some minor injuries if he hadn't, but nothing like he did."

"You haven't heard anything new?"

"No. They're still working on him."

"What... I mean, how hopeful are they?"

"You know how doctors are. They don't like to give away much, plus they may not know what his chances are."

"He has to last a little while at least. He won't break his promise."

"Which one?"

"He said we would see each other again. He meant it."

Danny nodded. "He told Grace he would see her tomorrow... today now, I guess."

"So, he's going to live long enough to see us."

"He's never broken a promise has he?"

"Once."

"What was that?"

"He said he would play with me and he didn't. I was like five at the time and I was really upset. Then Mom made him swear he would never break a promise again."

"Then he's gonna have to live a lot longer than today because he's promised several people he would kill them."

This assurance wasn't very comforting because no matter how much they wanted to believe it, Danny and Mary knew Steve wasn't in control. He couldn't magically make the bullets disappear and fix all the damage inside his body.

He could try. He could fight. And that's what everyone was counting on.

Back at the hospital everyone sat in a sort of circle in the small waiting room. Kamekona showed up for a couple of hours, but by two AM, the four of them were the only ones in the room. No one was willing to go home and one by one, they drifted off to sleep.

Still, no word on Steve's condition came.


	2. Keeping His Word

**Chapter Two "Keeping His Word"**

**Wow. Thanks for the great reviews. This is awesome! If there's anything you guys want to see in this story, I'm open to suggestions. **

Danny woke to someone gently shaking his shoulder.

"Detective?"

He recognized the voice of Steve's doctor, a fifty-something year old man named Frank Hanna.

"I'm awake," Danny mumbled.

"Well, getting there anyway." The doctor stood up straight and crossed his arms.

"What's the news?" Danny asked, rubbing his neck.

"Why don't you come get some coffee with me and I'll give you the good news and bad news and all the mediocre news too."

Danny looked at his watch. He had some time before he had to go get Grace so he followed the doctor into a break room, and they sat at a small table once they had their coffee.

"Well," Dr. Hanna began. "I won't say everything is fine, but all the bullets have been successfully removed."

Danny let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"I will say," the doctor continued, "your partner is extremely resilient. There were a couple of times I was afraid we wouldn't be able to finish without killing him, but he made it through. That's the good news."

Danny folded his hands under his chin. "And the bad news?"

"He is nowhere near out of the woods yet. Should he continue his recovery, it will be a while before he can go home and much longer before he can work again."

Danny sighed. He knew Steve wouldn't like that much, but the thought of Steve being conscious enough to have an opinion brightened his mood.

"You said 'should he continue his recovery'?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Dr. Hanna said. "It's looking hopeful, but there is still a chance infection and re-injury."

"Will he be awake today?"

"He should wake up late this morning and may have visitors, but only one or two at a time."

"Thanks. His sister flew in last night and she'll want to see him. I have to go pick up my daughter, so if you could tell the others..."

"Certainly."

They both stood and shook hands. "Thank you so much, Dr. Hanna," Danny said.

"Just doing my job, Detective Williams. Like you and your partner."

**H-5-O**

After hearing the news about Steve, Mary Ann went in to sit with him while Chin and Kono called Governor Jameson and Kamekona and Catherine and so on.

Seeing her brother unconscious was very unusual for Mary Ann. Looking pale and attached to all sorts of medical machinery, Steve was almost unrecognizable.

Mary was glad she couldn't see any of his injuries. She watched the miniscule movement of his nostrils as he breathed. She never thought something like that would make her emotional.

She thought about the last few months since Steve had sent her back to LA. Unlike before, he made sure to call her a couple of times a week. It was just beginning to feel like they were brother and sister again.

But after Danny's call last night, something snapped. Mary had decided she wasn't going back to LA. Ever. She wanted to be close to Steve as long as she could. Safety was one thing, but when it made life miserable, what was the point? Steve had to understand. She hoped he would anyway.

After what seemed like forever, Mary noticed Steve's eyelashes flutter. Then his fingers twitched and his face changed from that uncharacteristic calm to a more Steve-like expression. He blinked twice and with some difficulty, turned his head to look at Mary. Then he frowned.

"Is Danno okay?" he said. At least, that's what he meant to say; it came out sort of garbled.

"What did you say?"

"Danno."

"Danny? What about him? You didn't need to jump in front of him. _He_ was wearing a vest."

"He's okay?"

"Yes. Idiot."

"And everybody else?"

"Yes, Steve. You're the only one in danger here."

Steve's head turned back so that it was straight on the pillow. He seemed to finally be processing the fact that he was in the hospital and his entire body ached.

"What happened?" he asked.

"So, you don't remember getting shot seven times?"

Steve thought for a second. "I remember three."

"Well, they're all out now, but you won't be moving from that bed for a while."

"Is that why you're here?"

"No. I'm here because you made me a promise."

"Mary—"

"What? You never break your promises. You said we'd see each other again. I had to make that happen."

"It's not that big a deal."

"Yeah, it is. The doctor says you're not out of the woods yet."

"You know how doctors are."

"Yeah, and I'm here to make sure you do exactly what he says."

"You don't have to do that."

"Steve, I'm not going back to LA. Whatever danger I'm in here, it's better than never seeing you."

Steve was about to reply that she most certainly was going back to LA, but he hesitated. He remembered what it felt like to come home after eighteen years. But it wasn't like coming home because no one was there waiting for him.

Attempting to bury his protective instincts for a moment, he could understand that Mary wanted to be a family again. There would be conditions though.

"All right," Steve said. "But you're living with me and taking self defense classes and getting a CWP..."

"Wait," Mary interrupted. "What was that last one?"

"Concealed weapons permit." Steve enunciated carefully. Then he winced. "Ow."

"What?"

"Nothing..."

"You need me to get the doctor?"

"It's fine." The scowl on Steve's face was deepening by the second.

"Does it hurt that much, or are you just irritated that I know it hurts?" Mary asked, trying not to laugh.

"Shut up."

"Oh, I think you're getting better."

"About how long do I have to stay here?"

"A day longer than you can stand."

"It's already been that."

"Ha ha."

Mary's phone buzzed and she looked at the message on the screen. Then she stood up.

"Danny and Grace are here and you're only allowed two visitors at a time."

Steve nodded and his jaw set.

"What?" Mary asked.

"I promised her I'd go to this movie she wants to see."

Mary looked down. "I'm sure she'll understand if you have to postpone it for a while."

"It's still the first broken promise in twenty-seven years."

"Well, they're coming in, so I have to leave."

"Yeah. See you later."

"I love you, Steve."

"I love you too, Mary."

**H-5-O**

The short story was that Danny told Grace what happened. The long story went a little something like this: Danny picked up Grace at nine AM. She was all smiles and the first thing out of her mouth was:

"I'm so excited we all get to see Tangled today."

Danny grimaced, hoping she didn't see. "About that, Monkey," he said. "Uncle Steve's had a... well he got a little hurt and he can't go anywhere today."

Grace immediately switched gears from long-haired princesses to the condition of her favorite uncle. "Is he going to be okay?" she asked, nervously.

"Yeah. The doctor says he's doing really well, but he has to stay in the hospital for a while, so we're going to see him there."

"Oh, good. Does he have a TV in his room? 'Cause I brought some movies so we can watch them with him."

"Well, we'll see. He might be pretty tired."

"Did he get hurt at work?"

Danny paused, wondering how much he should tell her. "Um... yeah. He forgot to put on his vest."

Grace's eyes widened. "Did a bad guy shoot him?"

More like three of them... oh this was _not_ going well. "Yes, but we got them."

"And Uncle Steve's gonna be okay?" Grace asked again.

"Yeah. He'll pull through. He always does."

They arrived at the hospital and Danny texted Mary that they were coming up. When they reached the waiting room, Danny saw an unfamiliar woman talking to Kono. Chin was nowhere in sight.

The two women looked up when Danny and Grace entered the room. Now that he could see her face, Danny recognized the woman from a brief glimpse he'd gotten of her picture on Steve's phone.

"Catherine?" he asked.

She stood up. "You must be Danny."

They shook hands and Catherine attempted a smile.

"Have you seen him yet?" Danny asked.

Catherine shook her head.

"Well, I just texted Mary that we were coming, so you can go in if you want."

Catherine seemed to be thinking about that. She wondered if she should let Danny and his daughter go in first, but then she thought that her time was extremely limited and Danny would probably be hanging around the hospital all weekend.

"Thank you," she finally said. Then she turned and hurried down the hall. She saw Mary on her way in who gave her a surprised look, but them smiled and nodded once.

Steve was staring at the ceiling when Catherine opened his door, so he didn't know she was there. Oh, he knew someone was there, but he thought it was Danny and Grace.

"Hi,"she said softly.

At the sound of her voice, Steve's head snapped in her direction. Then his face screwed up as a jolt of pain shot up his neck.

"Hey, careful there," Catherine said, coming to his side. "They took a few bullets from your shoulder."

Steve groaned once and squeezed his eyes shut. Catherine knew it was more in irritation than pain. She leaned over and kissed him between the eyes. Then he tilted his head up to kiss her lips.

"Hi," he finally said as she pulled away.

Catherine pulled up a chair and leaned her elbows on the side of the bed. "You remember when you told me you didn't have much family?" she asked.

"Yeah," Steve replied wondering where this was going.

"Well you lied. Your family has been camping out in the waiting room all night."

Steve shook his head carefully. "I didn't have them then."

Catherine put her hand on his arm. His right arm, the one that didn't have any holes in it. "What were you thinking?"she asked.

"I'm sure I'll have to explain this over again," Steve said. "But I try to be sensitive about Danny's height. Yes, he was wearing his vest, but his head is about here." Steve brought his right hand up to hover over his chest. "They were aiming at him so I had a better chance."

"Yeah." Catherine smirked. "I'm sure that's why you did it."

"He's got a kid."

Catherine nodded. She knew what he meant. He had lost both his parents and didn't want anyone else to go through that. "You have a sister," Catherine said. "And..." She didn't know what to call herself.

"And?"

"And me."

A small smirk appeared on Steve's face. "And you. It's okay, though. I promised Mary I'd see her again, so it's not like I could die or anything."

"And dinner. You've promised me dinner several times."

"We've had dinner."

"Sort of."

"Only slightly charred."

"I'm afraid that's just not good enough."

"Okay. So I have to get out of here alive and take you to dinner."

"But right now, there's a little girl who wants to see her favorite uncle."

"Twenty-seven years," Steve muttered.

"Maybe you can postpone some promises."

"I suppose it's up to the one on the receiving end."

Catherine smiled. "I'm sure she'll be reasonable."

"Yeah, you'd better tell her she can come in."

Catherine stood up and kissed Steve's forehead. "I have to leave in the morning, so I'll only be here for today. Kono has agreed to give me regular updates on you."

"Great."

"Yes. So if you don't follow the doctor's instructions, I will commandeer the _Enterprise_ and sail it back here to personally kick your ass."

"Okay, I get it."

Catherine left the room to find Danny and Grace who had been not so patiently waiting for their chance to see Steve.


	3. Breaking His Word

**Chapter Three "Breaking His Word"**

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews and favorites and alerts! Have I said I love you guys? No? Well, I do! Now, for some long-awaited Danny and Steve interaction. **

In the short time he had to wait, Steve tried to find any possible way he could keep his promise to Grace. He determined he had two choices: convince his team to break him out for a couple of hours or pull every string he could think of to get the movie shown at the hospital. Each plan had it's charms. However, the logical side of Steve's brain knew they were both impossible. Even for his daughter, Danny wouldn't help Steve out of the hospital, and there was no way the theater would allow a private screening.

Steve did not like to accept defeat. But that seemed to be happening a lot that day. Mary was coming to stay in Hawaii and he couldn't go to the movie with Grace. There was just no way around it.

So when the door opened and the brown pigtails streaked across the room, Steve felt his heart sink a little. Grace stopped at the edge of his bed.

"Does it hurt a lot?" she asked.

Steve knew what she meant. "This side doesn't hurt," he said, and held out his right arm.

Grace smiled and gave him a small side-hug. He pulled her up so she was sitting next to him with his arm behind her.

"I'm really sorry, Grace," he said, ignoring the shocked look on Danny's face.

"It's not your fault," she said. "I brought some of my movies so you can watch them with me if it's allowed."

Steve smiled. "We'll have to ask the doctor. Maybe if you asked really nice he would let everyone come in and join us."

"You think so?" Grace was skeptical.

"Sure. You just have to open your eyes really big, like when you want Danno to do something."

There was an irritated sound from the corner of the room, which both Grace and Steve ignored.

"Okay," Grace said. "Where is he?"

"I don't know. Maybe Kono or Mary would help you find him."

Grace jumped off the bed and went to the door. "I'll be right back," she said.

When she was gone, Danny got up and came over to the side of the bed. He crossed his arms and appeared to be waiting for something. Steve closed his eyes, pretending to ignore Danny.

"Well," Danny finally said. "Where's my apology?"

Steve opened his eyes. "What?"

"You know, for getting yourself nearly killed and making me tell your sister and all that."

"I think saving your life pretty much made up for that."

"I was wearing my vest!"

Steve sighed. "I didn't want to have to say this."

"What?"

"Your head is... lower than mine."

Danny was about to reply when it hit him that Steve was right. If he hadn't jumped in front of Danny, he probably would have died.

"Well, it was still stupid," Danny muttered.

"Forgetting the vest was stupid," Steve agreed. "And if you like we can ignore your height altogether and say we both lived because I'm gargantuan, or whatever word you're using now."

"I hadn't thought of that one, actually. I like it."

Steve rolled his eyes and just then, Grace came back into the room, leading Dr. Hanna by the hand.

"See," she said. "He can have lots of company because it makes him feel better."

Dr. Hanna couldn't help smiling at Grace's conclusion. "Well, I'll just see about that," he said. "How are you feeling, Commander McGarrett?"

Steve hadn't really thought about it. "Like it's taking forever to wake up."

"That's from the painkillers and perfectly normal."

"Oh, the pain's being killed?"

The doctor raised his eyebrows. "Is it bad?" he asked.

Steve glanced at Grace and Danny noticed.

"Let's wait outside, Grace," he said.

When they were gone, Steve let the happy mask drop. "I've had worse... I think. I can't feel a lot of my left side, but my shoulder is pretty bad."

"Well that's a mercy," Dr. Hanna said. "You have several broken ribs on that side. By several, I mean most of them. We were able to get all the bullets out and set them, but you're going to have to remain here for a few weeks and not aggravate them. After that, your shoulder injury will require quite a bit of therapy. These kind of injuries can turn very ugly so it is important that you use your arm as little as possible and don't make any sudden moves."

Steve bit the inside of his mouth. "How long is this going to take?" he asked.

"Best case scenario? A few months. If you are able to stick to the office, you should be able to go back to work in a few weeks... but only if you don't overdo it."

Steve closed his eyes for a second. "I suppose I should be thanking you for saving my life," he said, "instead of worrying about all that."

"It might make you feel better, but as I told your partner this morning, I was only doing my job."

"People thank me for doing my job all the time... more often they yell at me though."

"Yes. I've had that too." The doctor smirked as he finished checking the monitors. "Breakfast will be in shortly and then if you sleep for a while, I might consider allowing everyone in for the little girl's movie."

Steve smiled at that. "Deal."

So, Steve managed to choke down the hospital food and slept for a while. He didn't really want to, but if it allowed him to halfway keep his promise to Grace, it was worth it. Later in the afternoon, after a check up from Dr. Hanna, the entire group crowded into the room with chairs from the waiting room. Grace reclaimed her spot next to Steve and Danny turned on one of Grace's many princess movies. By that time, Chin was back from meeting with the governor and tying up the loose ends of the case. The atmosphere in the room was quiet, but everyone seemed happy to be there.

Steve was beginning to find it difficult to stay awake halfway through the movie. He wouldn't fall asleep. He had to watch the whole movie with Grace. At his other side, Catherine noticed he was fighting sleep, so she reached over and grabbed his hand. Every time he would start nodding, she would give it a squeeze and he would wake up again.

However, when the credits began rolling both Steve and Grace were sleeping. After that, Chin and Kono went home, and Mary went to Steve's house to leave her things and see about getting the rest of her stuff shipped from LA.

Catherine stayed with Danny because she had to leave in the morning. As she watched Steve sleep, she realized that she had probably never spent this much time looking at him. She began to notice things she had forgotten. She remembered that she had always liked his long eyelashes.

"Something wrong?" Danny asked.

"What?" Catherine said, looking up.

"You just sighed."

"Oh. I was just thinking."

"Does it help?"

"A little."

"That's a new one."

"I was just remembering why we got together."

"Do I want to know?"

"His eyelashes."

Danny thought he might be sick. Then Catherine burst out laughing.

"That's not funny," Danny said. "I'll never be able to look him in the eye again."

"I'm sure you'll get over it. No, I think the reason we're together is he still owes me dinner."

"How long have you been together?"

"Um... technically a couple of years, but we've never actually dated. Something always got in the way, like a war or a transfer or an ocean or something."

"So there's one more promise he has to live for."

"He's going to have to live for a few months then, because I won't be back here for a while."

"Maybe you should keep this up so he can't get himself killed some other way."

"I'll see what I can do." Catherine smiled. "So, he and Grace are close?"

Danny gave a mock frown. "Yeah. I have to keep and eye on them. I don't want her learning bad habits from him."

"Which bad habits?"

"Oh, you know. Shooting people, driving like a maniac. That sort of thing."

Catherine laughed and Grace stirred. Surprisingly, Steve didn't move as Grace woke up and his arm fell to her side. She rubbed her eyes and looked at Danny.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Danny asked with a smile.

Grace nodded and smiled. "Uncle Steve is nice and warm." She slipped off the bed and came over to Danny. He pulled her up on his lap and was surprised at how warm she felt. He gave Catherine a look and she reached over and felt Steve's forehead.

"He _is_ really warm," she said. "I'll go find the doctor."

As Catherine left the room, Grace looked up at Danny. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked.

"No," Danny replied. "He might have a fever."

"Then maybe we should find him some more blankets."

"That's a good idea."

Danny was glad for an excuse to get Grace out of the room. If Steve had a fever it might mean an infection and that could be very bad.


	4. Out of Control

**Chapter Four "Out of Control"**

**Thanks for the reviews and messages and so on. You guys are so encouraging! **

Steve was still asleep when Dr. Hanna checked his wounds. His fever was rising and Dr. Hanna suspected there might be an infection in one of the holes in his chest. Or both.

"It's good you caught it so quickly," he said, looking at Catherine. "I'll get him back into surgery as soon as I can. Hopefully we'll get this under control."

Catherine nodded and Dr. Hanna left the room. Presently, Danny returned carrying a blanket, but without Grace.

Catherine turned to face him as he came in. "The doctor thinks—"

"I heard," Danny said.

"I have to leave soon. Kono and Mary both have my number, so if someone could call me..."

"I'll make sure you're kept in the loop."

Catherine nodded and turned back to look at Steve. She smoothed back his hair and willed him to wake up. She didn't want to leave him like this. As if in answer to her thoughts, his eyelids fluttered. It took him a few seconds, but finally his eyes opened completely and he looked up at Catherine.

"What's going on?" he asked, rather hoarsely.

"You have a fever," she said. "Maybe an infection. You're going back to surgery soon."

"Fun."

"Steve, I won't be here when you get out. I'm not going to be in the area again until March."

"Don't worry about it. I've got more than enough people here to look after me."

"I don't think an entire army could 'look after' you."

Steve smiled. "You're probably right."

"I know I am. Still, you do have a very smart little girl keeping tabs on you." Catherine eyed the blanket Danny held. As if on cue, Steve shivered and the two of them draped it over him.

"Don't worry," Danny said. "Grace and I will keep him in line."

Catherine smiled at Danny and looked back at Steve. "I have to go now," she said.

"I'll be here when you get back," Steve said.

Catherine kissed him lightly and whispered, "I'll hold you to that."

Then she left and for a while, Steve stared at the open door. His vision was sort of blurry from the fever and breathing hurt worse than before.

"You know, I get it," Danny said.

"Get what?" Steve replied.

"You two... well, I don't get what she sees in you..."

"Shut up, Danno."

"Don't call me that."

"Hey, I thought you were supposed to be nice to me."

"I brought you the blanket."

"So you have to balance out your acts of kindness with the usual testiness."

"I don't know why I talk to you."

Steve couldn't help a small laugh even though it hurt. "Because you love me. Everyone does."

"Except all those people who shoot at you all the time."

"They're not people."

"So your definition of a person is someone who loves you?"

"Well there are all those people who've never met me."

"And their lives just aren't complete... you know there are times I genuinely wish I'd never met you... but then I remember that you sicked the governor on Stan when Rachel wanted to take Grace away from me... and you let me tie that guy to the hood of my car."

"You still owe me for that one."

"Yeah. All I'm saying is don't die, okay?"

"You know, I don't plan on it."

"See, that's the thing, you never do. No one does. But people die every day."

"So what am I supposed to do about that."

"Nothing. You can't do anything. I think I would be happy if you'd just remember that."

"It might help if you'd stop calling me things like 'superman'."

"Sure. If that helps."

"Not really. I guess I've felt like my life was in my own hands for a long time."

"Well, now it's in the hands of one very dedicated doctor. I don't care how easy he makes it sound, digging seven bullets out of you has to be nearly impossible."

"It hurts if that makes you feel better."

"Why would that make me feel better?"

"I was just agreeing with you."

"You're gonna have to stop doing that soon. It's worrying me."

"Not a problem."

"Good. I have to go find Grace and call your sister."

"Where is she?"

"She went over to your place to leave her stuff. Said she'd be back this evening."

"You don't have to stay you know?"

"I know. The doctor's gonna be in soon."

Danny left the room and for the first time since he'd woken, Steve was alone. He considered whether he really ever did think he was invincible. He didn't think he did, but he could recall feeling in control. This was different though. Laying in a hospital bed unable to move, he was aware of just how little control he had. The more he thought about it, the more he realized his entire life had been out of control since he came back to Hawaii. He would never admit it, especially not to Danny.

It wasn't long before the doctor came back and Steve actually thought about what was going on. He knew he could have died. In fact he still could, but it wasn't all that likely.

Steve was almost glad when he was anesthetized. It meant he didn't have to think about anything for a while. Of course, he knew his chest would probably hurt worse when he woke up.

**H-5-O**

Mary Ann hurried back to the hospital after getting Danny's call. Chin and Kono were already there. Danny had called them too.

Kono and Grace were sitting on the floor in the waiting room, sharing a coloring book, and Danny and Chin were talking near the hallway. Mary wondered what she was supposed to do. It seemed Steve had already gone into surgery so the only thing left was to wait. It was almost irritating.

Mary sat down across from the girls, not really noticing their polite hellos. She knew Danny and Chin had observed her entrance, but didn't acknowledge it. So she crossed her arms and sat back in the chair. It was hard to believe that only that afternoon they had all been in Steve's room watching a movie and he seemed to be doing well. Mary should have known it wouldn't be that easy. She thought about the struggles she would face trying to help her brother recuperate. He would resist even the slightest assistance and she would have to press, because if he didn't take it easy, he would wind up right back in the hospital.

Mary shook her head. They had a long way to go before he even got to come home.

Home. Mary considered the word. She knew now that Hawaii was her home. Her parents' house. Living with her brother wouldn't be difficult. Keeping him alive, that was another story. Mary couldn't help thinking of when Steve sent her back to LA. He said this would always be her home, that he would bring her back. He did, just not how he thought he would.

Mary almost laughed remembering Steve's conditions. Self defense and a concealed weapons permit. She knew a bit of the first and wasn't too worried about the second. Of course, when it came to her brother, she was sure her skills were insufficient.

Mary didn't really notice the passage of time or when Danny and Chin joined them. When she looked up, Danny was sitting behind Grace and Chin was on the floor next to his cousin. Mary felt a little out of the loop, but she wasn't sure how to get in it. She reminded herself that these people were Steve's family, and hers by default. So, she got up and went over to sit next to Danny. He gave her a look that seemed to question if she was all right. She smiled what she hoped was a reassuring smile and Danny returned it. Then he turned back to Grace, seeing that she was finished coloring and wanted his honest opinion.

"It's all inside the lines," Danny said.

"Isn't it supposed to be?" Grace replied.

"Well, if you're a normal person, yes, but I think Uncle Steve would color outside the lines." Danny turned to Mary for confirmation.

"It's true," she said nodding. "He always added stuff too. Like tanks and airplanes and boats."

"Wouldn't he say ships?" Danny asked.

"Oh, yeah."

"Okay, Gracie. I think you need some ships in there."

Grace sighed and picked up a grey marker. "What kind?"

"An aircraft carrier," Mary said, "and a battleship."

Grace nodded. "And I'll put Catherine in the battleship and give it to Uncle Steve to make him feel better."

"That's a great idea," Kono said, taking a blue marker. "I think we need some water too."

Mary leaned back in her chair and watched as the others gave Grace suggestions on what Steve would like. They knew her brother as well as she did.

**This chapter was a bit shorter, but I thought this was a good stopping place. Next chapter we'll see how Steve is doing. **


	5. Coming up for Air

**Sorry this took so long! Thanks to my new Beta, Werewolf Girl 22, for helping me come up with ideas for the rest of this story. I'm going to try to finish this off in a couple more chapters, and hopefully within a couple weeks. **

**Chapter Five "Coming up for Air"**

Waking up felt almost like coming up for air after a long swim. Steve's eyes felt heavy, so he didn't open them right away. Breathing hurt, but he soon realized the pain wasn't in his lungs. He hadn't been swimming.

No, he'd been shot. Seven times. And now it was starting to hurt everywhere.

"How are you feeling?"

Steve opened his eyes to see his doctor, who's name he had forgotten, standing beside his bed.

"I believe I've been shot seven times," he said.

"You mean you didn't before?"

"Theoretically? Yes."

The doctor smiled. "You're going to be just fine."

"Is that your professional opinion?"

"Yes. Infection seems to be gone. Wounds are healing nicely. If you're very careful, I may be able to expedite your release."

"I'm sorry now that I forgot your name."

"Frank Hanna. And it's quite all right. However, I will not be allowing any more mass visits. One or two at a time." Hanna chuckled to himself. "You have a large family."

Steve thought about that for a second. "Yeah. I do."

**H-5-O**

"Just because it has a tie doesn't mean it looks like me," Danny argued, glaring at the crayon drawing of a rather disproportionate seal in a tie. It was a few days after Steve's surgery and he and Grace were drawing pictures on his bed.

"I disagree. It looks just like you," Steve said.

"What about mine, Danno?" Grace asked, holding up her drawing. "See, there's you and Uncle Steve."

"I see that," Danny replied. "What are we doing?"

"Coming to rescue me from the tower." Grace pointed at a tall object on the other end of the paper. There was something resembling a window at the top and a girl leaning out.

"It's a great picture, Grace. Much better than his." Danny nodded at Steve.

"Hey!" Steve made a face. "I thought mine was great too."

Grace gave Steve a serious look. Then she took his picture and examined it. "He needs more hair," she said. "And he's not the right shape. And he should be wearing a nice shirt and shoes."

Steve made a snorting noise. "Who ever heard of a seal in shoes?"

"It's not just any seal. It's a Danno seal. That's different."

Grace's wide eyes and solemn tone convinced Steve she was serious. "Okay," he said. "I'll do better next time."

But she couldn't keep it up. Soon Grace started smiling. Then snickering, giggling, and finally peals of laughter echoed in the small room. She started rocking back and forth on the bed and the laughs just kept coming. Finally Steve and Danny couldn't help but join in.

Steve's hands went to his side, trying to keep it from hurting too much. Then Grace rocked a little too hard, and Steve didn't have a second to think before he lurched forward and caught her. He couldn't help the small noise that escaped his lips as his left arm drew back to his side. Once he was sure Grace would slip, he fell back against the pillows and tried to steady his breathing.

Danny was already by his side. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched into his face.

"I'm fine," Steve said, but his wavering voice gave him away.

"Gracie, go find Dr. Hanna," Danny said.

She immediately hopped off the bed and hurried from the room.

"What were you thinking?" Danny demanded, coming around to the other side of the bed to try to check on Steve's wounds.

"I said, I'm fine," Steve said angrily, waving Danny off. "Grace was falling."

Danny shook his head. "You couldn't have just grabbed her arm or something?"

"What would you have done?"

Danny thought about it. "I would have jumped on the floor to break her fall... but you're not me."

"No. But you see my point?"

Danny sighed. "You've got to stop that."

"What?"

"The self-sacrificing crap. It was bad enough once. Now you've probably torn your stitches and your sister will be worried and Grace will think it was her fault."

"It wasn't. And I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

"Of course you are!" Danny paced back and forth a couple of times, running his hands through his hair. "Tell me." He stopped pacing and gestured widely. "Do you ever think of the consequences of your actions?"

"Danny, it's not a big deal."

"You almost died! Does that not register in your infantile mind? And now you think you can go right back to the superhero crap that got you in this mess in the first place. Well, I'm sorry, but I don't want to tell my daughter that someone she loves is dead, okay? I don't want to tell you sister and your girlfriend. You have to get it through your head that you are just as mortal as the rest of us, and you have _a_ _lot_ to lose."

Steve didn't respond as Dr. Hanna picked that moment to make his entrance. Danny looked at him once and turned to the door.

"He's probably torn his stitches," Danny said, turning halfway around. "Don't let him tell you otherwise."

Then he left to find Grace in the hallway and got out his phone to call Mary Ann. She had been with Steve all night and went home to rest a few hours before. Danny bit his lip and reconsidered. He would wait to call Mary until the doctor told him how Steve was doing.

**H-5-O**

Mary woke to the sound of her phone's message alert beeping in her ear.

"Lovely," she muttered, reaching for the phone and missing twice before she got it. "Missed call from Danny," she said to herself. "Code for: 'your brother is an idiot'."

Mary rolled her eyes as she played the message: "Hey Mary. I hate to bother you, but your brother, being the imbecile he is, tore some stitches a little while ago. The doctor's cautiously optimistic, but I thought you might want to come yell at him, since I can't even look at him right now. Anyway, talk to you later, bye."

Mary groaned. "Steve, what is wrong with you?" She climbed the rest of the way out of bed and called Danny as she headed down the hall.

"Nice to hear from the only sane McGarrett," Danny said.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Uh, Steve overreacted to something and tore a bunch of stitches. Then he bled a lot and had to take a bunch of pain meds. I guess they have it under control now, but I haven't talked to him."

"Yeah. You sounded pretty pissed in your message."

"Uh, yeah. I'm just thinking where's this gonna end, you know?"

"You mean will he ever sit still long enough to heal?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know. I think we need some leverage."

"Such as?"

"I'll see what I can come up with. I'll be over there in a little while, okay?"

"Yeah. See you later."

Mary quickly got dressed and drank some cold coffee. As she drove back to the hospital, she thought of all the things she needed to say to Steve. Something about knowing when to quit. But quit wasn't the right word. Steve hated that word.

When Mary arrived, Danny was alone in the waiting room having sent Grace home with her mother. Mary could see the frustration in his eyes, but there was something else too.

"I don't think he realizes how much we worry about him," Mary said.

"That's because he's dumber than a box of rocks," Danny said.

Mary nodded. "Dense," she said. "You have to spell everything out for him."

"Have fun with that."

"So you're not speaking right now, or what?"

"Not this minute. Maybe when I stop wanting to strangle him."

"When will that be?"

"Okay, when I can control my urge to strangle him."

"I'll go talk to him... or try, anyway."

"Good luck."

Mary smiled halfheartedly, and started down the hallway to Steve's room. When she got there, he was facing away from her toward the window. Mary stood in the doorway for a moment watching him. She knew he was aware of her presence, but he acted as if he weren't.

"Grace was going to fall," he said, suddenly.

Mary thought about that for a second. "Grace was going to fall," she said. "Danny was going to get shot in the head. What'll it be next? No, I get it. You didn't have time to think, so you just reacted. No one blames you for that."

Steve finally looked at her. "Then what's with Danny?"

"He's worried about you. Offended that you don't seem to care."

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it? Not from where I'm standing. You almost got yourself killed. Noble as it was, you should at least acknowledge the fact that you've been putting the rest of us through a lot of crap. And maybe if you were a bit more understanding, it would be easier for us."

"I don't know what you want from me."

"Just... stop acting like everything is okay. It isn't. I know your supposed to never show weakness and all that, but we are trying to help you, and we can't do that if you keep saying you're fine."

"All right; I'm not fine. But what can I do about that now?"

"Nothing! You have to let us take care of you. And it wouldn't hurt to apologize to Danny. He's pretty upset."

"Yeah... I guess you should tell him to come in."

Mary smirked. "I'll try."


	6. Following Orders

**Thank you guys so much for the great reviews. I'm so glad you like this story. Thanks to Werewolf Girl 22 for looking this over for me.**

**Chapter Six "Following Orders"**

Danny stood outside of Steve's room for several minutes. He was trying to balance feelings of extreme frustration with those of anxious concern. In the end, it just made him more irritable. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door. He was met with an expression he hadn't seen before.

"I'm sorry," Steve said before Danny could speak.

"What?" Danny asked, looking confused.

"I'm not saying it twice."

"Okay, let me get this straight. What are you sorry for?"

"Freaking you out. I didn't mean to."

"It's not that. It's that you don't seem to care how worried everyone is... I mean I am."

"But I want everyone to stop worrying about me."

"Yeah. That's never gonna happen. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry you're in here because of me."

"That's stupid, Danny. You would have done the same thing."

"Well yeah, but I would expect an apology afterward."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I know that. It's just a matter of courtesy."

"Okay. Fine."

"Yeah. So, are you going to behave yourself from now on?"

"I don't even know what that means."

"Not surprising. I mean, you won't do anything to slow the healing process. And you'll actually listen to me and your sister."

"I hesitate to make any promises."

"Even if it's for your own good. Look, you know if you don't do what you're supposed to it will be that much longer before you can go back to normal."

"Yeah. I know that. But as you are well aware, I am not particularly farsighted."

"Which is why you have to rely on other people to be for you. I know. That's another one of those things you're not good at."

"You know, I've done many difficult things..."

"But this will be the worst. I know. Mary Ann said we needed leverage."

"What?"

"To make you do as you're told."

"I don't want to think about that right now."

"Yeah. Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"That's not creepy at all..." Steve got comfortable and fell asleep almost instantly.

Danny sat back in his chair, trying not to dread the coming weeks. Everyone wanted Steve to be out of the hospital soon, but it was then that the real battle would begin. Steve wouldn't be able to go upstairs by himself. He would have to remember his medication and he wouldn't be able to do any of the things he normally did. At least for a while.

Danny realized with a start that it would be practically impossible to keep Steve out of the water. They might have to lock him up somewhere. Or put him on a leash.

Danny shook his head. It was the lack of sleep talking. However, at that moment there was little room for rational thought. So, he propped his feet up on Steve's bed and sunk into the chair. His eyes closed and a few seconds later, he was asleep.

**H-5-O**

After a week in the hospital, Steve was finally allowed to go home. But he was told if he didn't follow orders Danny, Chin, Kono, Mary, and Grace would join forces and carry him back if necessary. Then they would call Kamekona to come guard him until he was ready to be cooperative again.

Steve promised he would try to take things easy.

Mary was on 24 hour Steve-patrol, and the others rotated going over to check on him and help with whatever needed doing. This was the part everyone knew would be difficult because Steve needed help with pretty much everything. Not that he wanted it.

There were no bedrooms on the main floor, so going up and down was an event. Steve came down in the morning with Mary's help, and went back up at night with whoever showed up that time.

Once, Danny brought Grace with him and she wanted to help, but she was too small and the stairway was barely wide enough for two people. So, she went up ahead of them. It was a few days after Steve got home and he was getting claustrophobic. That, and having to be helped with every little thing, like changing his clothes, never got any less embarrassing than it was the first time. Of course, everyone was sensitive about it.

That night, after Steve was ready for bed, Danny stood in his doorway for a moment.

"You know it won't be much longer, right?"

"Yeah," Steve replied, not looking at Danny.

"Uh, Grace wants to read a story with you. Is that okay?"

"I would have to sit up again."

"No. I mean, she wants to read _to_ you."

"Oh, sure."

Danny went to get Grace and then left the two of them alone. Grace crawled up next to Steve and opened her book.

"_The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins_," she said. "By Dr. Seuss."

"Hey, I think my mom used to read that to me," Steve interrupted.

"Really? My mom and dad read it to me all the time." Grace turned to the first page and started reading. "'In the beginning, Bartholomew Cubbins didn't have five hundred hats...'"

Downstairs, Danny found Mary Ann laying on the couch, looking particularly exhausted.

"You doing okay?" Danny asked her.

Mary made a noncommittal noise. "It's really hard. I mean, I knew it would be..."

"Yeah. I know."

"I just hate that he needs this. Every time he has to ask me for something it's like a little bit of him dies."

"It won't be much longer. He's doing well."

"Yeah. I'm just afraid he might try to do something on his own and hurt himself."

"He hasn't done anything yet."

"No, but I can feel the tension. He needs an outlet or something."

"And maybe you need a day off."

"Thanks. I'm fine."

"No, I'm serious. I'll get Chin and Kono and we'll look after him this weekend. You can get out of the house and... I don't know. Do whatever you want."

"Danny, I—"

"I mean it. What time does he get up on Saturday?"

"You don't want to know. He hasn't changed a thing. Usually, he's awake by five. He can only wait around so long and I don't want him trying to get up on his own."

"Okay, I'll come over Friday night and you can sleep in."

"You realize you'll have to help him shower?"

Danny hesitated a moment. "Sacrifices must be made. You can't be expected to do everything."

"Thanks Danny. It's... well, it means a lot."

"Hey, don't mention it. We're his family too."

"So Chin and Kono will be okay with you volunteering them?"

"They're gonna have to be. No. They want to help as much as they can."

Mary and Danny looked up as they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.  
"Uncle Steve fell asleep in the middle of the story," Grace said when she'd reached the bottom.

"That's okay, Monkey," Danny said. "You can bring it this weekend."

"We're coming back?"

"Yep. And we're gonna have a sleepover."

"Cool!"

"Okay. Come on. I need to get you home to bed."

"Aww..." Grace broke off into a yawn.

"Thanks, Danny," Mary said as they were leaving.

"Yeah. Chin will be here tomorrow and we'll see you Friday night."

Mary stood in the doorway and watched Danny and Grace leave. She was looking forward to a break, but she didn't want Steve to think she was tired of him. At the same time, she knew he probably wanted a break too. He was never alone. Mary tried to think of ways to give him independence, but it was hard, and mostly consisted of letting him cook dinner or do laundry. Not exactly the most exciting activities.

Still, Mary kept reminding herself that it would be over soon. Then her brother would be back to looking out for her instead of the other way around.


	7. This is What We Do

**Yes, I'm finally updating. I'm sorry it's taken so long; I have no excuse... Anyway, thanks so much for all the reviews and so on up to this point. I hope everyone will keep reading. I promise, I won't take as long to finish this. There'll only be two or three more chapters.**

**Chapter Seven "This is What We Do"**

Steve looked confused when Danny and Grace showed up Friday evening.

"It isn't your day," he said, his face forming into one of his many odd expressions for which Danny had no name.

"Didn't Mary tell you?" he asked. "Grace and I are staying with you this weekend." The former hurried off to find out what Mary was making for dinner.

"What? Like the whole weekend?" Steve asked.

"Yes. We thought—well I thought—Mary could use a break."

"Oh." Steve had been standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room and began walking slowly toward the couch.

Danny stood next to the spot Steve was headed for just in case he needed help. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Fine," Steve replied, using Danny's arm to lower himself into a seated position.

Danny sat on the edge of the coffee table across from Steve. "You know when I ask a question, I actually want a real answer."

"I'm fine," Steve repeated.

"Steve—"

"I said I'm fine!" Steve's hand went to his side and his face scrunched up.

Danny started to say something, but Steve held out his hand as he leaned forward, because that made it hurt less somehow. After a few deep breaths, Steve leaned back.

"Sorry," he said. "I get tired of being asked the same question every ten minutes. If I answered honestly, it would sound like a lot of complaining."

"I meant about me staying," Danny said. "That's what you didn't seem so 'fine' about."

Steve shrugged. "Do I really have a choice?"

It was barely there, but Danny heard the uncertainty in Steve's voice. Danny leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Listen," he said. "I can't imagine how hard this must be for you. So, you have to tell me what I can do to make it easier, okay?"

"Yeah." Steve nodded, not really looking at Danny.

"Uncle Steve!" Grace came running back into the room.

"What is it, Gracie?" he asked.

She jumped up on the couch next to him. "I brought lots of books to read. Have you read Pooh Bear? Not the kid ones, but the real ones."

"I don't know. What are the real ones?"

"You know, the ones with chapters and everything."

"Oh. I think my mom read those to us. They were funny."

"Yeah. Well, I have those, and _The 500 Hats_, and _The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe_, and, _Ella Enchanted_, and..."

"Gracie, did you pack any clothes?" Danny asked.

Grace made a face. "Yes," she said sourly. "Mommy made me."

Danny laughed. "Good."

"Hey, Danny," Steve said.

"What?"

"Is there any way we could get out of the house tomorrow? I mean, just for a couple hours or something."

"What are you thinking?"

"I think Grace wanted to see a movie, didn't she?"

"Oh yeah, Danno, can we?" Grace practically begged.

"I don't know." Danny looked from Grace to Steve. "You think your up for it?"

"What's the worst that could happen walking to and from the car?" Steve asked.

"You shouldn't ask questions like that; we might find out. No. I'll ask Mary what she thinks. Chin and Kono will be over in the morning too, so we can talk about it then."

**H-5-O**

That night Danny helped Steve get ready for bed again and Grace came into his room with a stack of books.

"Which one do you want to read?" Steve asked, patting the space next to him.

"This one." Grace handed him _Ella Enchanted_, and got comfortable.

"But isn't that a princess book?" Steve asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes." Grace handed it to him. "You read this time."

Steve looked toward the doorway where Danny was still standing. "Go away," he said, waving his hand as if he were shooing flies.

Danny laughed. "Fine. Don't stay up too late."

Once he was gone, Steve opened the book and read the title page. "You're sure you want to read this one?" he asked, before turning to the first chapter.

"Positive," Grace said. "I won the reading contest at school and it was my prize. So, read."

An order was an order.

"'That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not mean to lay a curse on me'," Steve read. Okay, he could deal with curses. And the narrator sounded a little like Danny. As soon as Steve thought that, he considered asking for a lower dose of pain medication.

They finished the first chapter and though Grace was yawning, she insisted on one more. So, Steve continued reading, but halfway through chapter two, Grace fell asleep. Steve set the book aside and pulled back the top blanket, draping it over her. Calling for Danny would just wake her up, so he decided to let her stay. He was tired anyway, so he turned off the lamp and slid under the covers.

Somehow, knowing Grace was there made him fall asleep faster.

Later, Danny came to check on Steve and Grace and found them sleeping. He thought about taking Grace back downstairs to the couch, but she looked comfortable, and he knew whenever he felt like crap, having Grace near him helped. So, maybe it would be good for Steve.

**H-5-O**

At exactly five AM, Steve's eyes opened. He heard an alarm clock going off, but it wasn't his. Then there was some low grumbling and slow footsteps coming toward his room. The door opened and Danny poked his head in.

"What are you doing up?" Steve asked.

"Mary said you wake up at five," Danny replied.

"She usually makes me wait a while."

"She didn't say that."

"Of course not."

"Are you implying that your sister would deliberately try to make me miserable?"

"No one said you had to think this early in the morning, Danno."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Are you going to help me up?"

Danny crossed the room and noticed Grace still sleeping soundly. He offered Steve his arm to help him sit up. Then Steve pushed back the blankets and Danny helped him to his feet. Steve walked incredibly slowly to his dresser to get clean clothes. Danny waited to be asked for help.

"This way," Steve said moving toward the door.

"You need help?" Danny asked, following.

"Walking? No. I can't go any faster either way. It's getting up and down and standing for a long time."

Once in the bathroom, Danny saw that there was a plastic deck chair sitting in the shower and everything was within reach of it.

"You just help me in and out," Steve said, noticing Danny looking at the setup.

"Who came up with this?" he asked.

Steve smirked. "Who, indeed."

**H-5-O**

After his shower, Steve wanted to sit on the deck a while before going downstairs. Danny stood across from him, leaning against the railing.

"You're blocking my view," Steve said. His eyes were closed.

Danny smirked. "Which view would you prefer?" he asked in a poor impression of Cary Grant.

"The one you're blocking," Steve replied in a worse impression of Audrey Hepburn.

"You really need to work on that, babe," Danny said, sitting in a chair next to Steve.

"I've watched so many of those in the last week," Steve said. "_Charade_ was my mom's favorite movie."

"Mine too. I mean, my mom. She used to watch it at least once a month."

"I guess that's why your impression was better than mine."

"And because I have so much in common with Cary Grant."

"Like what?"

"Oh, you know, the charm and wit and sophistication."

"Hmm. I don't know about that. I guess the wit part."

"Really? You're finally admitting it?"

"Well, you have me at a bit of a disadvantage."

"True enough. So, when do you usually eat?"

"When Mary gets around to feeding me."

"Lovely. Let's go."

After the long trek downstairs, Steve sat at the counter while Danny searched the refrigerator.

"Not eggs," Steve said.

"What do you mean?"

Steve shook his head. "You don't make them right."

"This is news to me."

"Yeah, sorry. I'm sure you make wonderful pancakes or something."

"I do, actually."

In the end, Danny made enough pancakes for everyone. Grace came downstairs while he was cooking and offered to help. Steve was surprised that she actually seemed to know what she was doing. She brought him a plate of pancakes covered in syrup and a glass of orange juice.

"If you're good and eat it all," she said, "maybe Danno will take us to the movie after all."

Steve smiled. "I'll do my best," he said.


	8. Change Is Good

**Chapter Eight "Change Is Good"**

When Chin and Kono arrived, the others were halfway through breakfast and Mary was still sleeping. It had been unanimously decided that they would leave her alone.

Danny's pancakes were delicious, but Steve couldn't finish them. With all his broken ribs, he still couldn't eat a lot at once. But Grace helped him, and Steve began to think she got her appetite from her father.

Chin and Kono agreed that getting Steve out of the house for a while would be a good idea. Of course there was a long discussion about this. Steve and Grace had to go sit in the living room while the "adults" talked.

"Uncle Steve?" Grace said as she crawled up on the couch next to him.

"Yes, Grace?" he replied.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

Steve shrugged with his good shoulder. "Sometimes. Like if I move wrong or when it's almost time to take my medication again."

"But you're gonna get better, right?"

"Of course. I'll be back to my old self soon."

Grace wrapped her arm around his waist carefully. "Good," she said. "'Cause Danno's really worried about you."

Steve couldn't help the smile that spread across his face. He knew Danny was worried, but to think of Grace looking out for him like that was... He couldn't think of what it was, but it was something he hadn't felt in a long time. Steve hated people taking care of him, but since it had to be, he was happy with the people he had.

Finally, Danny came out into the living room. Chin and Kono were cleaning up breakfast.

"Okay," he said. "We've decided that going to a movie would be okay."

"Yay!" Grace jumped up and hugged him.

Danny didn't miss the elated look on Steve's face though. He smiled at them. "Which car would be easier to get into?" he asked.

Steve thought for a second. Danny could practically hear the gears shifting, going through the pros and cons. "Mine," he finally said. "I guess you can get me back for driving yours all the time."

"All right. You're sure you feel up to it?"

"To sitting for a couple of hours and eating popcorn? Yeah."

"I mean getting there and back."

"Yes. It's no big deal."

Danny angled his head down, trying to determine if Steve were just being a tough guy, or if he was really ready. Danny hoped it was the latter. He really wanted Steve to be normal again. Even though he claimed normal Steve was the most obnoxious individual in the universe.

**H-5-O**

After maneuvering Steve into and out of the passenger seat of the truck things went pretty smoothly. He and Grace shared a bucket of popcorn and whispered through the whole movie. Danny kept telling them to be quiet, but they wouldn't.

Eventually, Danny started throwing popcorn at Steve's head and the people around them started glaring. That's when Grace told them to behave and pay attention to the movie.

"He started it," Steve whispered.

"Did not," Danny argued.

"Am I gonna have to separate you two?" Grace asked. Then there was silence. Grace knew them a little too well it seemed.

As the walked out of the movie, Steve looked happy, but very tired. And Danny noticed he was keeping weight off his left side.

"Time to get you home, Super SEAL," he said.

"Aw, Mom, it's not even dark yet," Steve replied with a grin.

"You're hilarious; let's go."

Getting back in the truck was harder than the first time. Steve seemed to be slower and weaker than before. On the way home Grace talked about the movie, but Steve was strangely silent. Everyone noticed, but no one said anything.

When they got back to Steve's house, Mary Ann was out. Chin and Kono volunteered to make dinner and Grace ran upstairs.

Danny helped Steve to the couch and didn't miss the deep sigh that came out of his partner.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Tired," Steve said. "Et cetera."

"Is that your way of not admitting that it hurts?"

"Sure."

"Uncle Steve," Grace said, coming back down the stairs. "Will you read some more?"

"Hey, Monkey," Danny said. "Why don't I read a little? Uncle Steve is really tired."

"I don't want to miss anything," Steve said.

"Then stay awake," Grace said.

"All right, you come sit by me and poke me when I look too sleepy."

Grace smiled. She could do that.

Danny was becoming concerned at how thick Steve and Grace were becoming. He was also a little surprised that Steve would be so interested to know what happened in the princess book.

**H-5-O**

When Chin and Kono came to let everyone know dinner was ready, they found Danny reading animatedly and Steve and Grace listening intently. The two of them stood in the doorway for a minute until Danny came to the end of the chapter.

"Keep going," Grace insisted.

"Hey, you all want dinner or not?" Chin asked, smiling at the three of them.

Steve held up his hand. "Want dinner. Don't want to move," he said, and looked at Chin as if he should offer some solution.

"You okay with eating on the couch?" Kono asked.

"A few weeks ago, I would have said no. But special circumstances and all that."

"All right," Chin said. "You two." He pointed at Danny and Grace. "Come help."

Kono sat down with Steve while the rest went to get dinner. "You doing okay?" she asked. "You look tired."

"Yeah," he replied. "I am tired."

"All this princess stuff getting to you?"

Steve smirked. "Not at all," he said. "I love doing things with Grace. She's so... you know what I mean?"

Kono laughed. "Yeah, I know. She's sweet and innocent. Reminds us why we are who we are."

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

The others came out with plates of food and everyone found a seat. While they were eating, Steve's phone rang. He reached for it, but Danny got there first.

"I can't answer my own phone?" Steve asked.

"Depends." Danny looked at the screen and seemed to think it was safe, so he handed the phone to Steve. It was Catherine.

"Hey," he answered. "I don't suppose you're coming back early?"

"I don't know," she replied. "Have you been good?"

"Very. Just ask Grace."

"I will. Honestly, though, I might have an opportunity to visit earlier than I expected. It's still a couple of weeks out though."

"That's a lot better than we thought, though."

"Yeah. How are you doing? Really?"

"I'm okay. It's not going as fast as I want it to, but it's getting there."

"So, you haven't broken any cardinal rules yet?"

"What? Like swimming? No, I haven't. I've been very well behaved." There was a collective snort around the room.

"Well, except for throwing popcorn at Danny, but he started it."

Catherine laughed. "Sounds like things are going well."

"Yeah. I really miss you though."

"I miss you too."

Neither of them knew why, but that seemed awfully important. Perhaps because they'd never said it before.

"Well, I have to go," Catherine said. "I'll call you later this week."

"Okay. Be careful out there."

"And you be careful over there."

They said goodbye and Steve didn't really care that everyone was looking at him. He knew they were probably wondering about how serious he actually was with Catherine. From that conversation, it sounded pretty serious.

"You want me to read some more?" Steve asked Grace.

"Yeah," she said, grabbing the book and handing it to Steve.

"I'll clean up," Danny volunteered, picking up plates.

Chin and Kono got comfortable, wanting to hear Steve read to Grace. They had reached the part where Ella's mother died. Steve read with a lot of emotion in his voice, and it wasn't all put on. It made the story more moving to those listening.

**H-5-O**

Danny and Grace stayed the entire weekend. They got halfway through _Ella Enchanted_ and Grace couldn't wait for their visit in the middle of the week. Steve couldn't wait either.

As they got ready to leave on Monday morning, Grace gave Steve a hug and he told her to pay attention in school.

"I'm the top of my class... except for Tommy," she said.

"Who's Tommy?" Steve asked.

"A pathological liar," Danny said.

"He's the smartest kid in school, but he's mean. He likes to scare me," Grace said.

"Grace, you know there's nothing to be afraid of," Steve said. "We've got Danno looking out for us."

Grace smiled. "Yeah, we do."

"Come one, Monkey," Danny said.

Grace hurried to the door and turned around to wave goodbye to Steve before heading for the car.

"Be nice to your sister," Danny said.

"She's my sister," Steve said. "I'll treat her like I always have."

"I thought so. Looks like we're gonna have to come back next weekend."

"Yeah." Steve smiled. "I hope so."

Danny and Grace did come the next weekend and the one after that. Even when Steve could do more on his own, they still came to help out. He and Grace finished _Ella Enchanted_ and moved on to _The Lion. The Witch and the Wardrobe._

Somewhere along the way, Steve almost forgot why this had all happened in the first place and was just enjoying the time with his family. But he did wonder what would happen when he was better. They wouldn't come around as much, probably. The inevitable disappointment made him savor the days he did have with them. He never wanted it to end.


End file.
